Panic in Oklahoma: How Game 1 Shifted the 2025 NBA Finals Outlook
A sold-out crowd in Oklahoma City expected a comfortable win to open the 2025 NBA Finals. What happened instead was a jaw-dropper: the Thunder let a 15-point lead vanish, losing 111-110 to the Indiana Pacers on their own floor. Oklahoma City came into the series as NBA Finals favorites, but now they're on high alert, forced to look in the mirror after suddenly finding themselves behind. That's not a spot Finals favorites want to be, especially when the odds said this series would be much easier to handle.
The script seemed written for the Thunder: force turnovers, get out and run, let Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carve up the defense. On paper, they executed—25 forced turnovers, a mark no Finals team managed this century. But it didn’t matter. Down the stretch, the Pacers, led by Pascal Siakam, turned chaos into control. Siakam, with 19 points and 10 rebounds, led Indiana’s fourth-quarter fightback. His putbacks and quiet leadership helped the Pacers claw back from what looked like a lost game. Instead of a routine Thunder victory, we got the kind of tension that turns a Finals series upside down.
Game 2: Thunder Under Pressure, Pacers Embracing the Underdog Mentality
The pressure is real for Oklahoma City now. Oddsmakers still trust the Thunder, bumping them to -11 favorites for Game 2—a sign that the betting world expects a backlash. But numbers only tell half the story. In NBA Finals history, no team has come back from losing the first two games at home. That stat hangs over the Paycom Center like a thundercloud. Coaches, fans, and everyone in the locker room know: drop Game 2, and the season might be over.
The Thunder’s plan for a comeback isn't complicated—or subtle. They need more from their stars, and they need smarter defensive switches. Gilgeous-Alexander already lit up Game 1 with 38 points, but Indiana’s defense found ways to trap the ball late. For Oklahoma City, it’s about mental toughness as much as shot-making. Don’t let the Pacers hang around. Don’t give Siakam or Tyrese Haliburton space to exploit mismatches down the stretch.
On the Pacers’ side, confidence has never looked so scrappy. They’ve thrived in the underdog role all postseason, and Game 1 followed their script—a late rally, poised execution, and just enough defense to catch the Thunder off guard. Indiana doesn't need to do anything fancy in Game 2: stay level, defend the perimeter, and keep Siakam rolling as the go-to guy. Bookmakers still see Indiana as underdogs, but their ability to cover point spreads as big dogs is catching attention.
For Game 2, experts predict a Thunder win, banking on the home crowd and an uptick in urgency. But nobody's ignoring the Pacers’ clutch factor anymore. If the Thunder clean up their mistakes, and if Gilgeous-Alexander stays hot, this series might swing back. If not, Indiana will keep driving at the cracks, one underdog win away from a fairy tale Finals.